Summer has arrived, and June has been an incredible month for Green Meadows. We’ve been busy, from kick-starting the next round of events, such as Low Carbon Tours and DIY Woodwork, to the arrival of a brand new eCargo bike. There has been no shortage of new activities and initiatives.

Keep reading to find out more.

Exploring green transport: arrival of eCargo bike

In Nottingham's ambitious quest to become carbon neutral by 2028, the city has not only prioritised sustainable modes of transportation, but is also exploring innovative ways to completely transform the way we move around. Enter the eCargo Bike - a game-changing solution for businesses and organisations reliant on traditional delivery methods or community engagement.

Recently, Green Meadows were among the first to test the eCargo bikes as part of Nottingham City Council's Workplace Travel Service ‘eCargo Bike Experience.’ With zero emissions and the adaptability to manoeuvre through streets and cycle routes, the eCargo bike will help carry out visits in the community, transport goods to local events and transport the Future-Fit team from home-to-home when they carry out free energy surveys.

The bike was delivered to the Green Meadows Office at the Queens Walk Community Centre by Ed Clancy OBE, Triple Olympic Gold Medalist and South Yorkshire Active Travel Commissioner, whilst on his visit to oversee the city’s active cycling infrastructure.

Ed Clancy OBE delivers eCargo bike

While cycling around the Meadows during the hottest days of June, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of people asking if our bike was a mobile ice-cream van. Their curiosity sparked inspiration and got us thinking about other ways we could use our e-cargo bike. So, watch this space because we're in the process of transforming the bike into an activity stall and treats stand for all our summer events! Look out for us at the Meadows Day of Action on July 11th, from 3 to 5pm, at the Bridgeway Centre.

Meadows Growing Group First Harvest

Picking up speed over the past few weeks, the Meadows Growing Group saw their first harvest with the arrival of a wonderful patch of lettuces!

This is a product of the groups work over the past few months, as part of a community-led effort to cultivate a vibrant shared allotment - adding new colour and new plant-life to the Meadows. It’s wonderful to see the allotment bustling with life, and we can’t wait to see the plants and produce that sprout over the Summer months.

The group meet at the Suspension Bridge and walk 5 minutes across the river to the shared community allotment plot. Everyone is welcome to join and we love to see new faces.

If you’re interested in joining the allotment fun, get in touch!

Recent Events - DIY, Low Carbon Tours & Woodwork

We were excited for the return of DIY Woodwork sessions this month, kicking off with Fitting Skirting Boards and Draught Proofing.

The session saw participants practice and develop common woodwork and power tools skills through the handy lens of installing their own home improvements. Skills covered included learning how to cut mitre joins using a mitre saw and mitre box, as well as fitting skirting and finishing work to a high standard using filler. They measured skirting and architrave using marked up door frames, and had a go using tools such as drills, hammers, sliding bevels, cope saws and more!

The aim was for participants to learn new skills in a safe, guided environment, to go away with the confidence to do it themselves at home, and importantly, to enjoy the process! Check out some photos of the event below.

Next on the agenda was our first Low Carbon Tour, which took participants around the Meadows to local energy-saving homes, that have undergone thrifty changes and innovative retrofit approaches.

Everybody got a chance to look inside these homes and to hear from the homeowners about their own individual experiences. Paired with DIY Workshops, our upcoming Toolshare and our FREE Future-Fit energy surveys, we hope that these insights and opportunities will empower Meadows homeowners to make their own changes.

If you are interested in attending a Low Carbon Tour, why not join us this month for our next tour?

On Saturday 15th July we will be venturing outside of the Meadows to properties in Lady Bay and Carlton. Take the chance to see a wider range of properties, with different features such as innovative insulation, varying heating systems, water saving methods, aesthetic considerations and more!

Sign up here.

We have plenty of exciting opportunities coming up, all of which are FREE to Meadows Residents - take a look below.